By MICHAEL GINGOLD
Fans of the ’70s shocker will be seriously tripping over all the extras in this set.
Synapse Films has issued a three-disc limited edition of BLUE SUNSHINE, writer/director Jeff Lieberman’s 1977 film in which horrific murders in the present prove to be connected to drug experiments in the past, starring Zalman King, Deborah Winters, Mark Goddard and Robert Walden. The movie has been restored in 4K from the original 35mm camera negative, presented in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible), with lossless DTS-HD Master Audio original theatrical mono and a 5.1 Surround mix supervised by Lieberman. The set includes a 4K UHD disc, Blu-ray and a CD soundtrack album, with hard chipboard slipcase packaging featuring new artwork by Wes Benscoter; inside that is a dual-wall o-card wrapped around a clear three-disc Criterion-style case. Special features (including–full disclosure–one involving this writer) are:
- Two audio commentaries featuring director Jeff Lieberman
- New introduction to the film by director Jeff Lieberman
- Archival 2003 interview with director Jeff Lieberman
- “Lieberman on Lieberman” video interview
- Channel Z “Fantasy Film Festival” interview with Mick Garris and Jeff Lieberman
- Fantasia Film Festival 4K Premiere Q&A with moderator Michael Gingold and director Jeff Lieberman
- Anti-drug “scare films”: LSD-25 (1967) and LSD: INSIGHT OR INSANITY? (1968), courtesy of the American Genre Film Archive
- Jeff Lieberman’s first film THE RINGER, included here in two versions: the original uncut version (from a projection print source) and the final release version (remastered in 4K by Synapse Films from the original camera negative) with optional audio commentary on the uncut version by Jeff Lieberman and moderator Howard S. Berger
- Theatrical trailers
- Still gallery
- Liner notes booklet by Jeff Lieberman, featuring a chapter on the making of BLUE SUNSHINE from his book DAY OF THE LIVING ME: ADVENTURES OF A SUBERSIVE CULT FILMMAKER FROM THE GOLDEN AGE
- Limited-edition fold-out poster
The set retails for $49.95, and is available now exclusively from Synapse and DiabolikDVD. Below are the front and back of the slipcase, front and back of the o-card, and the disc case.
